Dumb-waiter for well-refrigerators



(No Model.)

` W. M. LARIMER 8v W. H. ARGO.

DUMB WAITER POR WELL REFRIGBRATORS.

No. 563,190. Patented June 30, 1896.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

NVILLIAM M. LARIMER AND WILLIAM H. ARGO, OF RUSSELL, IOVA.

DUMB-WAITER FOR WELL-REFRIGERATORS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 563,190, dated J une 30, 1896. Application filed November 8, 1895. Serial No. 568,335. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern,.-

Beit known that we, WILLIAM M. LAEIIVIEE and VILLIAIWI H. ARGO, citizens ofthe United States,residing at Russelhin the county of Lucas and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Dumb-Taiters for fell-Refrigerators; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Our invention relates to a means for preserving edibles, such as butter, vegetables, rbc., in localities where ice and` refrigerants are not accessible during the summer, but it is equally as well adapted for use for economic purposes in settled localities where ice can be obtained.

Our invention contemplates the employment of a well into which may be lowered a provision-cage,so that the contents of the cage will be exposed to the low temperature in the bottom of the well, for preserving the edibles against decaying under the influence of the heat which prevails during the summer; and our improved apparatus may also be used in the winter to keep edibles from freezing.

The object that we have in view is to provide a simple and inexpensive construction which can be readily supplied to a well, and which can be operated with ease to lower the cage into the well or to raise it to the surface.

To the accomplishment of these ends the invention consists in the combination and construction of parts which will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

Ve have illustrated the preferred embodiment of our invention in lthe accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a general view of our invention, partly in perspective and partly broken away to show parts in section, the door of the top inclosure being thrown open. Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view on a plane above the guide-pulleys indicated by the dotted line x x in Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a detail vertical sectional view on the plane indicated by the dotted line y y of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a sectional plan view showing the organization of the refrigerator apparatus with relation to a pump. Fig. 5 is a detail view of the cage.

Like letters of reference denote corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings, referrin g to which- A designates a well, which may be dug to a suitable depth into the ground and provided with a curbing ormasonry casing. Over the well is provided the platform B, at one side of the center of which is produced the opening b. rlhe platform B is common to the refrigerator apparatus and to the pump, which is shown in a general Way at B in Fig. et. The refrigerator apparatus is arranged to occupy one part of the platform, and the pumpis arranged alongside of the refrigerator apparatus, said pump having its feed-pipe extending down into the water of the well. It is to be understood, however, that our apparatus can be usedin a well which is not equipped with a pump. On top of this platform is erected the casing O, which is built around the opening l) so as to inclose the same, and this casing is carried up a suitable height to accommodate the cage or car D when the latter is raised into the casing C in order to permit a person to have access to the shelves in the cage. The front, or one of the sides of the casing C, is open, so that a person may place the edibles in, or remove them from, any one of the shelves in the cage, and this open side ofthe casing Gis adapted to be closed by a hinged door c, having a suitable latchin g device.

E E are the vertical guides, which consist of suitable studding, which extends from the top end of the casing O down into the well A for a suitable distance, but which terminates above the water-line in the well. Said guides E are arranged to occupy a place at one side of the middle of the casing and the well, and in the opposing faces of these fixed guides or uprights are provided coincident grooves or recesses e e, which serve as ways to keep the cage in proper position. Near their upper ends said upright guides are provided with notches e c', which open into the longitudinal grooves or recesses e e, and also open through the inner edge and one face of the uprights, and these notches e on each upright guide are spaced far enough apart for the guide lugs or arms d d on the cage D to be slipped or passed through said notches e when it is desired to remove the cage from between the IOO uprights E and take it out from the open side or doorway of the casing C.

The cage D is constructed in any suitable way with a closed top, bottom, and three closed sides, thus leaving one side of the cage open throughout its entire length. In this cage is provided a series of shelves CZ@ and its open side may be provided with a suitable spring-controlled door or doors, if desired. The cage is made wide enough to fit snugly between the upright guides E, and on the sides of the cage, at the middle thereof, are fastened the guide arms or lugs CZ CZ, which are fitted snugly in the grooves or recesses e c' in said uprights to hold the cage from swaying and to keep the same in a proper upright position. These guide arms or lugs CZ CZ on the sides of the cage are spaced at distances from each other corresponding to the distance between the notches fe', and when the cage is lifted into the casing C in a position where the arms CZ are in line with the notches e/ said cage can be drawn out from between the guides to cause the arms CZ to slip through the notches e, whereby the cage can be easily taken out or replaced when desired.

The cage D is suspended by means of the chains or cables F F', which have their ends attached in a suitable way to the ca ge, at the upper end thereof. These chains pass over the guide-sheaves f g, supported in a cross bar or frame G, attached to the upper ends of the uprights E E, within the casing C, and the chains or cables then depend into the well and are provided with the weights F2 F2, which balance the cage.

The lower ends of the upright 'guides E terminate above the water-line in the well, and said lower ends are joined together by a cross piece Z1'. On this cross-piece Zt is mounted suitable cushion-springs Il H, upon which the cage is adapted to rest when it is lowered the full depth of the uprights E. These springs serve to ease the shock or jar on the cage and its contents should the cage drop suddenly or be -lowered with force against the cushionsprings.

In Fig. 2 of the drawings we have illustrated our preferred arrangement of the guide-pulleysfg and chains F F'. It will be noted that a single cross-bar Gis used, which is fastened to the upper ends of the upright studdings E E. Through this cross-bar, at points close to the uprights E E, are passed two horizontal bolts or pinsf g', and the ends of these bolts or pins are extended through and beyond the bar G suiiiciently to accommodate the fourpulleysf g, over which the cables or chains are passed. Two of these pulleys are th us arranged on one side ot' the bar G, and the other pulleys lie against the opposite side of the bar G, the two pulleys f being supported on a single bolt or pin j, while the other pin or bolt g' is common to the other two pulleys g.

XVe prefer to provide a check mechanism which will operate to hold the cage suspended stationarly in place at any suitable point in the well and will prevent the cage from dropping suddenly when it is overloaded above the weight of the balancing-weights, which sometimes happens, and in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings we have illustrated one embodiment of this check mechanism. On the chains or cables F F, which pass over the loose guide-sheaves f g, are arranged to bear the curved ends of the friction shoes orblocks J J', which are fitted to slide horizontally in suitable guides or keepers J2, attached to the bar G. The friction-shoes J J are adapted to be moved in opposite directions simultaneously by means of a lever K, which is arranged between the inner ends of the shoes J J and which lever is hung or fulcrumed at a point midway between its ends by means of a pin or rod 7s, suitably attached to the bar G. The ends of the friction-blocks J J are provided with pins Z2, and the ends of the operating -lever K are provided with transverse slots ZZ to receive the pins Z2 of the lever, which is adapted to move the two shoes in opposite directions when the lever K is turned on its fulcrum. As a suitable means to actuate the lever K we have proM vided a pull-cord 7c', which is attached near the ends of the lever K. By pulling on one part of this cord the lever K may be actuated to assume anearly upright position and cause its pins or studs Z2 to draw the two shoes J J toward each other and away from the pulleys f g to allow the cables or chains F F to pass freely, thereby permitting the cage to be raised or lowered at will; but by vpulling on the other part of the cord the lever K is reversed to force the two shoes J J tightly against the cables or chains F F, so as to confine the same between the pulleys f g and the curved ends of the shoes, whereby the brake may be caused to hold the cagel) suspended at any desired point in the well.

As a means for closing the opening 'ZJ inthe platform when the cage is lowered into 'the vwell, so as to prevent foreign substances from dropping into the water when the casing C is opened, we have provided the double doors L M. These doors are hinged at their side edges to the platform Band they are adapted to fold down horizontally to close the Vopening Z) in the platform, said doors resting on suitable cleats or supports (indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 4E) when closed. The doors have the notches p in their free edges to permit the chains orcables to pass freely through the same. On the upper end of the cage we provide the short upright or post N,.w.hich is arranged to strike the meeting edges of the doors when the cage is raised; and as the cage rises through the opening Z) in the Vplatform and into the casing C these doors rest against the sides of the cage, so as to be held in their opened positions by resting against the cage. When the cage is lowered, the doors close down over the opening ZJ, and it IOO IIO

will thus be seen that the doors are operated automatically by the rising or falling of the cage.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination with guide-sheaves,a cage, and the suspension cables or chains, of a clamp to hold the cage suspended at any desired height, consisting of friction shoes guided to impin ge against the cables or chains for the purpose of confining the same between said guide-sheaves and the outer ends of the shoes, an operating-lever hung between the two shoes and having its ends connected to the inner ends of said shoes, and means for operating said lever for the purposes described, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of two Witnesses.

WILLIAM M. LARIMER. VILLIAM H. ARGO.

'itnesses WILLIAM A. PALMER, J osrAH LIOHTEBARGER. 

